Beauty

In her novel The Bluest Eye, Toni Morrison writes, "Beauty was not simply something to behold; it was something one could do.” In this thematic collection, we have gathered texts that explore the promises and problems of beauty.

The Upstairs Room

by Johanna Reiss

Publication year 1972

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Hope, Mental Health, Race, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Death, Family, Friendship, Siblings, Self Discovery, Community, Politics & Government, War, Beauty, Equality, Fate, Good & Evil, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger

Tags Life-Inspired Fiction, Historical Fiction, Survival Fiction, World War II, Holocaust, Children`s Literature, Jewish Literature, Military & War, World History

The Upstairs Room (1972) is a novel based on the experiences of author Johanna Reiss as a Jewish girl during World War II. The novel follows protagonist Annie de Leeuw and her sister Sini as they hide from the Nazis during the German occupation of Holland. Annie’s story, which is told from her first-person perspective, celebrates human resilience and compassion while exploring themes concerning the loss of childhood innocence, the sacrifices people make during wartime... Read The Upstairs Room Summary

The Virgin Suicides

by Jeffrey Eugenides

Publication year 1993

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Mental Health, Memory, Beauty, Sexual Identity, Coming of Age, Death, Grief, The Past, Future, Environment, Appearance & Reality

Tags Coming of Age, Depression & Suicide, Climate Change, Grief & Death, Love & Sexuality, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness, Classic Fiction

The Virgin Suicides is a realistic fiction novel written by Jeffrey Eugenides and originally published in 1993. Using death by suicide as its central motif, the novel examines the themes of The Objectification of Women, Romanticizing the Past, and The Effects of Loss. A statement of youth disillusionment, death by suicide becomes The Death of the Future, another of the novel’s themes. The novel was adapted into a critically acclaimed film directed by Sofia Coppola... Read The Virgin Suicides Summary

The Viscount Who Loved Me

by Julia Quinn

Publication year 2000

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Aging, Death, Loyalty & Betrayal, Social Class, Friendship, Fate, Siblings, Safety & Danger, Coming of Age, Forgiveness, Memory, Daughters & Sons, Childhood & Youth, Love, Literature, Mothers, The Past, Family, Future, Appearance & Reality, Equality, Beauty, Self Discovery, Hate & Anger, Marriage, Loneliness, Conflict, Masculinity, Trust & Doubt, Grief, Femininity, Fathers, Nostalgia, Truth & Lies, Shame & Pride

Tags World History, Regency Era, Romance, Historical Fiction

... Read The Viscount Who Loved Me Summary

The Wind in the Willows

by Kenneth Grahame

Publication year 1908

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Beauty, Good & Evil, Literature, Friendship, Animals, Plants

Tags Fantasy, Children`s Literature, Action & Adventure, Animals, British Literature, Classic Fiction

First published in 1908, The Wind in the Willows by Scottish writer Kenneth Grahame is a story for young readers that recounts the adventures of three animals: Mole, Rat, and Badger. In the woodlands where they live, the trio must deal with various problems—which include frequently rescuing their friend Mr. Toad, who loves thrills and often causes trouble.Widely considered one of the greatest literary works for children, The Wind in the Willows has been reprinted... Read The Wind in the Willows Summary

The Winter King

by Bernard Cornwell

Publication year 1995

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes War, Beauty, Religion & Spirituality

Tags Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Mythology, Action & Adventure, Military & War, Medieval, World History

The Winter King is a 1995 novel by Bernard Cornwell. It is the first volume of the Warlord Chronicles series, a reimagining of the legend of King Arthur stripped of magic and romance and instead steeped in the grim realities of Britain after the fall of the Roman Empire. It was followed up by Enemy of God (1996) and Excalibur (1997). By the time Cornwell published The Winter King, he had established his reputation as... Read The Winter King Summary

The Wrong Daughter

by Dandy Smith

Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Fear, Forgiveness, Grief, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Love, Memory, Revenge, Mental Health, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Midlife, Death, The Past, Place, Family, Siblings, Self Discovery, Community, Beauty, Fate, Good & Evil, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Dramatic Literature

... Read The Wrong Daughter Summary

Thick: And Other Essays

by Tressie Mcmillan Cottom

Publication year 2019

Genre Essay Collection, Nonfiction

Themes Race, Beauty, Justice

Tags Creative Nonfiction, Gender & Feminism, Race & Racism, Social Justice, Politics & Government, African American Literature, Women`s Studies, Sociology

Tressie McMillan Cottom’s Thick: And Other Essays (2019) is a collection of personal essays that explore race, gender, and class in the US. McMillan Cottom is a professor of sociology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an influential public intellectual whose writing has appeared in The Atlantic, Slate, The New York Times, and The Washington Post. Thick situates McMillan Cottom’s personal experiences within sociological and structural analysis to link her experiences to... Read Thick: And Other Essays Summary

Today

by Billy Collins

Publication year 2000

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Beauty, Order & Chaos, Hope, Love, Perseverance, Appearance & Reality

Tags Lyric Poem, Science & Nature

... Read Today Summary

To Helen

by Edgar Allan Poe

Publication year 1831

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Beauty, Art, Love

Tags Mythology, Lyric Poem, Love & Sexuality, Romanticism, Horror & Suspense, American Literature, World History, Fantasy, Romance, Classic Fiction

... Read To Helen Summary

To Kill a Kingdom

by Alexandra Christo

Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Revenge, Hate & Anger, Shame & Pride, Loyalty & Betrayal, Safety & Danger, Beauty, Order & Chaos, Truth & Lies, Family, Mothers, Community

Tags Romance, Fantasy, Coming of Age, Fairy Tale & Folklore, Action & Adventure, Relationships, Love & Sexuality, Mythology

... Read To Kill a Kingdom Summary

Travels With Charley

by John Steinbeck

Publication year 1962

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Place, Fear, Hope, Nostalgia, Memory, Masculinity, Aging, Future, The Past, Self Discovery, Beauty, Justice, Language, Community

Tags Travel Literature, Action & Adventure, American Literature, Animals, Civil Rights & Jim Crow South, Classic Fiction, Biography

Published in 1962, Travels With Charley: In Search of America is a narrative travelogue by John Steinbeck. The book follows a cross-country road trip the author took with his dog, a brown poodle named Charley. They travel in a camper-style pickup truck named Rosinante, which Steinbeck had custom built for the trip. Steinbeck embarked on the journey because he felt disconnected from the larger picture of American life after years of living in New York... Read Travels With Charley Summary

Troilus and Criseyde

by Geoffrey Chaucer

Publication year 1385

Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction

Themes Love, Gender Identity, Coming of Age, Marriage, Social Class, War, Beauty, Literature, Religion & Spirituality

Tags Classic Fiction, Medieval, Narrative Poem, Romance, Military & War, Education, Education, World History

Troilus and Criseyde is an epic poem by Geoffrey Chaucer written between 1382 and 1386 in Middle English. The poem is divided into five books and features Chaucer’s innovation, the Rhyme royal stanza form, which is a seven-line stanza in iambic pentameter with an ABABBCC rhyme scheme. The poem is set during the Trojan War and tells the tragic story of Troilus, a prince of Troy who falls in love with a young woman named... Read Troilus and Criseyde Summary

Twisted

by Emily McIntire

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Hate & Anger, Love, Sexual Identity, Coming of Age, Family, Self Discovery, Beauty, Good & Evil, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger

Tags Romance, New Adult, Fairy Tale & Folklore, Horror & Suspense, Fantasy

... Read Twisted Summary